


Hell Bound

by orphan_account



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural, Demon Shane Madej, Demons, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-05-19 17:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19361452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Another episode had taken Ryan and Shane to some house to find evidence of a demonic presence inside. Everything was going fine, until Shane decided to play a joke on Ryan that ended with him revealing himself to be the very monster they were in search of. Ryan had come into this house looking to prove to skeptics that demons were real, and instead he was walking out questioning his own mind and terrified of what his best friend really was.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on [this incredible work of fan art](https://www.instagram.com/p/ByyGJnMnjrl/?igshid=l0iyc9klckt3) by @shaneslegsfordejs on Instagram.

The lights flickered, momentarily bathing the room in darkness as Ryan stepped inside. He was trembling, an open bottle of holy water clutched in his hand, ready to spray anything that might be a demon. Ryan slowly stepped towards the center of the room, breathing heavy and heart beating so hard his chest hurt as he strained his ears for the sound of a demon. Ryan remained silent, too afraid of what might happen if he spoke to the demons and invited them to make any sort of contact. He was the opposite of Shane, who usually came waltzing into the rooms, fearlessly shouting at the angry spirits to hurt him. Father Thomas’ warning still rang in the back of Ryan’s mind, rendering him too terrified to do anything beyond standing in a defensive position as he entered a room that supposedly housed a demonic spirit. 

Ryan attempted to make out his surroundings, his eyes failing him in the darkness of the room. His flashlight hardly helped, the small light only illuminating a small patch of the wall. In the blink of an eye, two hands were grabbing Ryan’s shoulders, a dark figure towering over him. The creature leaned in, hissing quietly in his ear. Ryan stiffened, his blood running cold as he tried to determine what to do. The creature whispered his name in a scratchy voice, sending a jolt of terror down Ryan’s spine. He let out a loud shout as he flailed his arms, hitting the creature in what he assumed to be it’s face, his other hand dousing it in holy water. 

Ryan expected to hear a sizzling sound as the liquid burned the demon, and he expected to hear cries of pain as its flesh melted. Instead, the sound of laughter filled the room, suffocating Ryan as he desperately tried to think of an escape plan. How had the water not worked? He gripped the bottle that had a bit of remaining water to his chest, shaking as his mind swirled from the realization that the only weapon in his arsenal was useless. 

“You’re _too easy_!” Shane taunted, chuckling as he looked down at the shorter man with a sly grin. 

“That was you?” Ryan exclaimed, fear immediately transforming into fury. He clenched his fist, snarling, “I could murder you right now,” at his friend, who just continued chuckling. “I seriously thought you were a demon! You have no idea how freaked out I was when the hol-” Ryan was cut off by Shane advancing on him and shushing him by pressing a finger to his lips. 

“Quiet,” Shane said in a low voice, shaking his head. The room was still too dark for Ryan to really make out any expression on Shane’s face, but he felt a chill run down his spine at those words, an eerie sense of discomfort overtaking him. Ryan wished he could shove Shane away and run out of the room; his friend was making him feel more nervous than any spirit ever had in their past investigations. Ryan squirmed, trying to move past Shane, but the taller man reached out, stopping Ryan in his tracks and gently shoving him backwards until his back was up against a wall. Shane had Ryan pinned, and Ryan hated the way it made every hair on his body stand on end. 

“Shane, stop. This isn’t funny anymore,” Ryan growled, trying to shove Shane away, to no avail. The taller man had the advantage of size _and_ strength on his side. “Why are you still playing this game?” He demanded, growing more frustrated with every passing second. Shane was acting really weird, more so than usual, and Ryan just wanted to get out of this place before an actual demon hurt either of them. 

Shane chuckled, that same unfamiliar, dark laugh from before. He lifted a hand, causing Ryan to flinch as he snapped his fingers. As soon as Shane did this, the lights all flickered on, steady light illuminating the room. This was shocking enough on its own, but what truly terrified Ryan was how Shane’s eyes had turned entirely black, with small red circles glowing where his pupils should be. Ryan gulped, his trembling becoming more violent. “Surprise,” He whispered, a pair of red wings fanning out behind his back. 

“You’re a, you’re...” Ryan couldn’t finish his sentence, too terrified as his entire body froze. Shane was a demon. The man he had gone into countless haunted locations with was a demon. His greatest fear had been beside him this entire time, and Ryan had been blissfully unaware of it all. He wanted to let out a scream for help, but he knew nobody would be able to save him. Shane was in complete control, and Ryan could only pray the demon would treat him kindly. 

“Say your prayers, Bergara.” Shane whispered, running a hand down Ryan’s cheek. 

“Why didn’t the holy water burn you?” Ryan questioned, humiliated by the tears that welled up in his eyes. He felt like a frightened child, rather than the brave paranormal investigator he had convinced himself he was. 

“That’s all a myth,” Shane replied with a shrug, swiping the bottle from Ryan and drinking the rest. He gulped it down like it was a normal beverage, flashing a toothy grin at Ryan when he finished with a small sound of relief. “Refreshing, thank you.” He nodded, mocking Ryan as he tossed the now-empty water bottle over his shoulder. 

“Have you been one of these the whole time?” Ryan further interrogated, trying to wrap his mind around this new discovery. 

“Of course I have been!” Shane nodded, almost seeming offended that it had taken Ryan this long to figure out the truth. “Why do you think I taunt the spirits the way I do? Because they’d never hurt me. I’m one of them.” Shane chuckled, raking his eyes down Ryan’s figure, mouth practically watering with hunger. 

“Why did you come to these places with me then?” Ryan asked, squirming slightly as he tried to wiggle free from Shane’s hold. The demon pressed harder, ensuring Ryan couldn’t move. 

“I like to play with my food,” was the only reply Ryan received. Shane brought him to these places because he liked when Ryan grew afraid. He loved seeing the horror and hearing the screams of fear that came from his human pet. The scent of fear that lingered on Ryan wherever they went together, as if apprehension of a spirit following him home and attaching itself to him permanently was always in his mind, was intoxicating to Shane. Playing these games with Ryan was the most fun he’d had in centuries, and this moment was the most terrified Shane had ever seen the human. 

“Are you gonna kill me?” Ryan asked quietly. Shane didn’t reply; he snapped his fingers and suddenly the room was dark again. Ryan fumbled with his flashlight, shining it on Shane, who looked completely normal, wings gone and eyes their normal color once again. He frowned, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at Ryan with confusion. 

“You okay?” He asked, concern laced through his voice. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” Ryan lied, rubbing his forehead, a headache starting to gnaw at his brain. 

“You look like you just came face-to-face with a ghost,” Shane said nonchalantly as he walked around the perimeter of the room, examining things with a bored expression. Ryan still had his back pressed against the wall, breathing heavily as he tried to regain himself. His mind was fuzzy, replaying the sight of Shane’s demonic form over and over as he tried to decipher if the event had been a real occurrence or merely a vivid hallucination caused by his own exhaustion and fear. 

“Come at me, demon!” Shane shouted suddenly, grinning at Ryan. “Come eat my heart!” He beckoned the creature. “If you’re real, prove it! Come murder me!” 

Ryan bit his lip, wondering if this really was just a demon making jokes with friends. He silently prayed it was the Shane he knew being his usual obnoxious self. Ryan pushed himself off of the wall, trying to steel his nerves as he looked around the pitch black room again. 

“Let’s move on to the next room,” He said to Shane quietly. “I don’t think we’re going to find any demonic presence here.” He decided. Shane glanced over at Ryan, a shudder running down the smaller man’s spine as he could have sworn he saw his friend’s eyes flash red again. Shane nodded in agreement, walking past Ryan, headed for the exit of the room. As he walked past, he looked down at Ryan and growled, “Delete that footage. Anyone finds out about this, and you’re dead, Bergara.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to @diiametricallyopposed on Instagram because she had been a huge support through the process of writing this and she helped me come up with ideas for this chapter.

Ryan couldn’t stop trembling as he followed Shane back down the stairs to the living room of the house, where they planned to spend the night. His breathing was shaky as he watched Shane, convinced that, at any moment, red wings might unfurl from Shane’s back, and in a flash of sharp teeth and glowing eyes, Ryan would be a corpse, torn apart and left in an old house to be forgotten. 

“Do we really have to spend the night?” Ryan asked as he reluctantly rolled out his sleeping bag. He was already terrified enough of staying in houses like this when the only supernatural beings were ghosts or demons that had yet to show their faces; this time, Ryan was going to be forced to sleep beside a demon that knew everything about him, down to his greatest fears and weaknesses. Ryan had already convinced himself this was to be his last night on earth. 

“According to the testimonies you told me about,” Shane huffed. “this demon attacks people in their sleep. Every single person said that’s what happened, right? So we have to spend the night, so the demon will come after you once you’re asleep.” Shane explained, offering a sly grin as Ryan looked at him, face pale. 

Ryan didn’t like the way Shane said that. He didn’t suggest that they would both be vulnerable to the demon’s attacks; he decided Ryan was the one who would be the victim of an attack. He hadn’t said it in his usual, playful tone, but rather in a solemn tone that implied he already knew Ryan’s tragic fate. Ryan felt his blood turn to ice as Shane’s eyes flashed red, his irises becoming pools of blood for a split second. A small yelp caught in Ryan’s throat as he quickly averted his gaze, busying his unsteady hands with a loose thread hanging from his shirt. 

“Calm down,” Shane sighed, noticing how nervous Ryan had grown. “It’s going to be fine.” He promised, his voice coming out as a low growl. This caused Ryan to stiffen, the voice sounding foreign, like it didn’t belong to Shane. He tried to convince himself that he was imagining things, that his mind was exhausted and that he was hallucinating. Ryan was struggling to make his mind calm down, but he was desperate to force the memories and thoughts of that evil form Shane had taken out of his mind, at least long enough for him to be able to rest peacefully for the duration of the night. In just one moment, Shane had gone from being the thing that made Ryan feel safe when they slept in these places, to becoming the waking nightmare Ryan wouldn’t be able to escape. 

Ryan climbed into his sleeping bag, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. Shane laid down atop his sleeping bag, his limbs fanned out around him. He closed his eyes, and a few minutes later, the taller man was softly snoring, lost in some dream. Ryan silently envied him as he stayed wrapped in his sleeping bag, head snapping up to look every time he heard even the quietest sound. Ryan repeatedly told himself not to be afraid as he pulled further into his nylon cocoon, as if it were the coat of armour that would keep him protected from any harm the demons in the house might try to cause. 

Stiffness filled every muscle in Ryan’s body. His body felt like it was being weighed down by a ton of bricks, and every ounce of his strength had been sapped. His mind was screaming at him to sit up and wake Shane, to check the time and see how much longer before they could leave this place, but his body was unresponsive. It was like invisible chains were keeping Ryan pinned to the floor. A chill ran through his body, and he was abruptly aware of the lack of his sleeping bag. The hardwood floor he was lying on promptly began to feel uncomfortable against his back, and there was a sharp pain in the back of his head, like splinters from the worn floor were poking into his skin. 

“You’re awake,” Shane said, shifting so he was sitting beside Ryan’s head, grinning down at him. Ryan breathed a small sigh of relief when the man sitting beside him looked completely normal. There were no wings sprouting from his back, and his eyes retained their usual warm brown. The realization occurred to Ryan that he must have been experiencing sleep paralysis, and he allowed his mind to relax as he assumed the sensation would go away soon and he would be able to pack up his things and get out of here. 

“We still have a few hours before daylight,” Shane continued speaking. He reached out and threaded his fingers into Ryan’s black hair, stroking his hair slowly. Ryan wanted to tell Shane to stop, but his mouth refused to open. “Which means I’ve got plenty of time to play with my favorite toy.” He chuckled softly. Those words were enough to send fear rippling through all of Ryan’s senses, cold sweat trailing down the side of his head. 

Shane sat back on his heels, gazing down at Ryan, forcing the smaller man to maintain eye contact with him. Something about Shane’s stare was off, and Ryan wished his friend would stop leering at him, but he couldn’t even manage to make his own eyes close. Ryan could see the same hungry desire from before in Shane’s face, and he was keenly aware of his own helpless state. Shane could do whatever he wanted, and Ryan would be forced to take it without any chance of fighting back. A few silent moments passed before Shane finally seemed to grow bored. He stood up, chuckling to himself. 

“You’ve been hunting supernatural beings for so long, Bergara,” He observed, his voice a gravely rumble that sounded more like something Ryan would expect to hear from the spirit box than something his friend’s vocal cords could produce. “And you were too dumb to realize that one of them was right beside you the entire time.” He sounded amused, eyes glinting with mischief. The voice Shane spoke with filled Ryan’s head with a sharp pain, like a wild animal was gnawing on his brain. “I was so lucky when I stumbled across you. You’re so easy to scare,” Shane continued the mockery, snapping his head down so Ryan could see his glowing red eyes. Shane’s pupils almost seemed to pulsate, pulling Ryan into a trance. “All I had to do was pretend to mock the spirits, and you gave off enough fear to feed me for a century.” Shane laughed as he walked around Ryan, like a predator circling his prey before the pounce. “Of course, it was a bonus that you’re the prettiest human I have ever come across,” The demon added, flashing his razor-sharp teeth. “These other spirits we come across always want to take you away from me,” Shane snarled, snapping his jaw angrily. “but I’ve never liked sharing my toys.” He eventually came to a stop and knelt down beside Ryan, his red wings unfolding, filling Ryan’s vision. “You have no idea how frustrating it is, always having to assert dominance and scare off those other spirits.” Shane offered a gentle smile that quickly morphed into a malicious grin as he reached out to cup Ryan’s cheek.  
Shane ran his thumb along Ryan’s jaw, and Ryan noted how sharp the nail felt--it was almost like a claw. He had no doubt that Shane could kill him right now if that’s what he wanted to do, and Ryan was beginning to suspect that was exactly what Shane had in mind for him. Ryan tried to steel his nerves and act as if he wasn’t afraid, but Shane saw right through his facade. 

“It’s kind of cute how easily frightened you are,” The monster teased. “You remind me of a scared chipmunk. You even kind of look like one.” Ryan wanted to argue and insist that none of that was true. He was not easily scared and he definitely didn’t look like a chipmunk, but Shane was making it impossible for him to speak. “Whenever we talk about demons, you mention people being mysteriously scratched. It’s always three claw marks,” He said, more to himself than to the human as he pushed Ryan’s plain tee up, revealing his bare chest. Ryan could already see where things were going, and he tried to squirm, needing to flail his limbs to he could get Shane off of him and get out of there. Instead, his body remained unmoving, his eyes growing wider and his breathing becoming choppy. 

Shane dug three of his fingers into Ryan’s chest, claws piercing the skin. He allowed Ryan to use his mouth long enough for a cry of pain to escape his lips. Shane took a deep breath, lips curling into a depraved smirk as he jerked his arm downward, dragging his claws across Ryan’s chest. Ryan screamed, pain overtaking his body. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and he was unable to hold back the pathetic sobs that wracked his body violently enough to cause him to begin trembling. Shane watched on with interest as blood welled up from the wounds, staining the floor around Ryan with red splotches. 

“Please-” Ryan managed to choke out. “Please..” He couldn’t get out any other words, to busy crying his way through the pain that seemed to sink down into his bones. 

“I thought this was what you wanted!” Shane ridiculed. “Proof that you encountered a demon!” He cackled. “You’ll have these scars forever,” Shane said, the cheerful note to his voice unnerving Ryan more than any other event that night had been able to. “It’s almost like a reminder of who you belong to,” He added. “You’re all mine, Ryan.” Shane declared. This only made Ryan’s sobbing grow more intense as he realized the demon had just branded him, and now it was likely he would never be able to escape this curse. Ryan prayed this was all some vivid nightmare, or that Shane would allow him to bleed out and end this whole thing. 

As time passed, Ryan’s sobs slowly got quieter and less frequent as the pain ebbed out, becoming little more than a dull ache in his chest. Shane didn’t make any move to take care of the wound, but he made a comment that it was scarring nicely. Ryan didn’t entirely understand how the wound could heal so fast, but decided not to question it. He had just found out Shane was an actual demon, and it was clear he wielded some kind of dark power. Ryan could only imagine the feats Shane must have been able to pull off with his demonic abilities. 

As the pain finally drained from his body, Ryan’s stiff limbs relaxed and his thoughts grew hazy. He eventually drifted off to sleep, unable to stay awake no matter how hard he fought to keep consciousness. A few hours passed, and Ryan eventually woke up, back in his sleeping bag, blood stains gone from the floor, Shane passed out beside him. The only indication that anything Ryan experienced had been real were the three large claw marks seared across his chest, angry red bumps standing out from the skin. Ryan frowned as he nudged Shane to wake him up. He was desperate to get out of this house and never think about what had happened here ever again. 

Shane rolled over as Ryan tapped him a few times, opening his eyes and smiling at his friend. “Morning,” He yawned as he sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. “Sleep well?” He asked. To the untrained ear, the question would have sounded like a genuine concern, like a friend wanting to make sure the other was well-rested. To Ryan, however, there was an underlying tone of scorn. Shane knew full well that Ryan’s night had been nothing short of hell. Ryan wanted to snap and scream at Shane for toying with him like this, but he forced himself to give a small nod of confirmation that he had slept well, his fear of what Shane might do if Ryan defied him in any way enough to keep him silent. 

The two men packed up all of their equipment and did one last check to make sure they had everything before making their way out to their car. Shane smiled as they walked outside to be greeted by a sunny, cloudless sky. He reached out, grabbing Ryan by the wrist and squeezing hard enough to make it hurt without causing Ryan to squirm. 

“You've been warned, Bergara,” He hissed in the same terrifying voice from that night. “If a single person sees that footage or hears about what happened to us in that house,” He squeezed a bit harder, enough that Ryan expected a bruise to form around his wrist after Shane let go. “I will personally drag you to the depths of hell and make sure you suffer.” Shane promised, flashing his red eyes at Ryan briefly before dropping his wrist and going to get in the car. Ryan stood in the yard, rubbing his throbbing wrist, a frown forming on his face as he got out his keys and went to get in the car. He just wanted to go home and curl up in bed and stay there until all of this was over. His entire life had been flipped upside down in one night, and he wouldn’t even be able to find any solace from this. Nobody would believe his word on what happened, and he didn’t want to risk facing whatever Shane had in store if he presented the footage to even one other soul. Ryan felt trapped, and the smirk Shane presented him with as he climbed into the driver’s seat only solidified Ryan’s apprehension that he was never going to escape this twisted game.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer..I tried to slow down the pace and let things develop a little more.

“I think we should go back to the Sallie house.” Ryan decided as he was staring at his computer screen, typing up the script for their next episode of Unsolved. Shane was sitting beside him doing his own work, when he looked up with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve suggested doing that how many times, and you always said no. Now suddenly you want to go back? What happened to your rule about only investigating one demon per season?” He questioned, suspicious that Ryan was planning something. 

“I’ve been hiding from that place for so long,” Ryan said, letting out a shaky breath. “I want to go back and face my fears.” He looked up, locking eyes with Shane for a brief moment before quickly averting his gaze. Ryan still got chills up his spine whenever he looked up at Shane; it was growing increasingly hard for him to even be around the other man, not that he had any choice. Aside from the fact that they worked together, Shane was spending more time with Ryan, insisting on being close to him every chance he got. Shane was determined to keep Ryan close, and Ryan found it difficult to fight back, considering Shane had all the power in their relationship. 

Shane’s lips curled up into a devilish grin. “I won’t argue with that. I’d love to go back to that place.” He chuckled softly, standing up out of his chair. “I’m sure the fans will love it, too.” Shane walked over to Ryan, standing behind him and resting his hands on Ryan’s shoulders. He chuckled again when he felt Ryan tense up underneath his touch. “I’m proud of you for trying to get over your fears, Bergara.” He praised. 

Ryan’s heart started beating faster as Shane towered over him, the larger man’s shadow entirely engulfing Ryan’s form. Ryan silently reminded himself not to be afraid; they were in the middle of a busy office, and everyone would see if Shane shifted to his demon form or attacked Ryan in any way. Still, he couldn’t help the fear that emanated off of him, and he was sure Shane was enjoying how something as simple as standing too close to Ryan was enough to freak him out like this. 

Shane dropped his hands back to his sides, declaring, “It’s almost one o’clock, we should go get some lunch.” 

“I’m working on a-” 

“Oh, come on,” Shane cut Ryan off mid-sentence. “Save it and come back to it later. The script can wait. I’m hungry, aren’t you, too?” He whined. Reluctantly, Ryan saved the doc he had been typing up, rolled his chair backward and stood up. 

“Yeah, I guess I am kind of hungry.” He admitted. Ryan had been planning to either eat at his desk or skip lunch altogether. He didn’t want to go anywhere with Shane, and Ryan was already expecting the car ride to whatever restaurant they decided to eat at to be total torture. Ultimately, however, Ryan knew he would likely be safer if he went along with whatever Shane wanted to do instead of trying to fight back. He needed to do whatever he could to stay on the demon’s good side if he wanted to be shown any mercy.  
“What are you hungry for? I’m kind of feeling sushi.” Shane shrugged as they got into his car. Ryan was more in the mood for a basic burger, but decided to voice any objections. Usually Shane was fine with eating whatever Ryan wanted, but Ryan worried Shane might get upset if he was disobedient and tried to change where they went to eat. 

“Yeah, sounds great.” Ryan lied as he got into the passenger’s seat and buckled his seat belt. “Whatever restaurant you’re in the mood for sounds perfect.” 

Shane shot Ryan a sideways glance as he put his eyes in the ignition and turned on the car. “You feeling okay, dude?” He asked, words intertwined with what sounded like genuine concern. 

“Yeah, of course I am.” Ryan nodded, allowing his body to relax. Shane wasn’t showing any sign of snapping or turning evil. Ryan knew it was foolish to trust him so quickly, but a small part of him hoped Shane would go back to normal, and that he had only been acting so off the previous night because of where they had been. 

“Well, I’m here if something is wrong.” Shane assured him as he began driving. Ryan couldn’t help but smile at how Shane actually seemed to care about it. He felt safer, knowing Shane was back to normal and that he was looking out for Ryan. 

The car ride to the restaurant was mostly silent. Shane turned on the radio, some quiet pop song playing in the background as Shane hummed along, drumming his fingers on the wheel. Ryan looked out the window, forehead rested against the glass, watching cars and building flash by. Ryan felt himself grow calmer with each passing second as his mind started to bury the thoughts of Shane and the monstrous side of him that had been seen.

Ryan could push away those memories and forget about what had happened if Shane stayed normal like this. Ryan could accept that the demon they were hunting must have taken control of his friend and that Shane wasn’t really a demon after all. It almost seemed like Shane had no memory of the way he attacked Ryan, and it helped further his comfort that Ryan hadn’t seen any flash of red in Shane’s eyes, nor had his voice transformed into the hideous, gravelly tone. 

Eventually, they arrived at the restaurant. It was a small building tucked between an apartment building and another restaurant Ryan had never dined at before. Ryan got out of the car, following Shane inside. They had eaten at this sushi place a few times before, and it was one of Ryan’s favorite places near the office. The food was amazing, and Ryan trusted the quality enough to have no fear of an upset stomach coming back to bite him later. 

Everything was going fine as the two of them sat at the table, having casual conversation of their plans for future episodes of Unsolved. They were waiting for their food to be brought out to them, when Shane declared that he needed to use the restroom. Ryan pulled out his phone to entertain himself while he waited for his friend to return, while Shane pushed his chair out and stood up. As Shane was getting up from the chair, he turned and walked into a waiter who was carrying drinks to a nearby table. Shane swore quietly as a cup of water spilled all over the floor and orange soda spilled onto his black-and-white striped hoodie. He apologized to the waiter, who waved him off as he picked up the glasses that had been dropped and went to get things to clean up the spill. 

Ryan, meanwhile, had put his phone down as he used his sleeve to muffle the wheeze that escaped his throat. He felt bad for the waiter, but as soon as the disgruntled man was gone, Ryan broke out into laughter. His amusement was cut short, howbeit, when Shane whipped his head around, glaring at Ryan, eyes flashing red just long enough for Ryan to notice. His breath caught in his throat and Ryan squeaked out an apology as he tossed a napkin to Shane. 

Shane sat back down and began dabbing his shirt with the napkin to get as much of the soda as he could out of the fabric. He was clearly upset at what had just happened and Ryan hated himself for laughing at it. He had just dug himself into an even deeper pit than he was in before. 

“Do you want me to go get some wet paper towels from the bathroom?” Ryan offered. “The soda might get sticky.” Shane didn’t say anything, just nodded. Thankful to have an excuse to get out of the situation, Ryan scurried off to the restroom, planning to stall for as long as he could before being forced to return to the table. Now Ryan had no way to deny that Shane really was a demon, and, to make matters worse, he had upset the demon. He wouldn’t be surprised if was dead meat by tomorrow morning.

Ryan walked into the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief when all of the stalls were empty. He was alone here; nobody else was around to judge him when he inevitably broke down into tears again. Ryan was surprised with himself when, five minutes later, he was still holding himself together relatively well. He was standing with his back against the wall, phone in hand, debating if he should call someone to come pick him up. Maybe he could just run away from Shane and hide until the demon moved on to someone else. He was about to call Jen and beg her to come get in, when he stopped to consider the plan. 

How would Ryan even plan to explain this situation to her? Jen likely wouldn’t even believe him if Ryan tried telling her one the people who used to film videos with her was actually a demon who was torturing Ryan. Even if she did believe him, Shane would be furious with Ryan for telling his secret, and the three scars emblazoned across Ryan’s chest were a reminder that Shane would probably go to the end of the earth to hunt him down if necessary. The escape plan quickly fell through and Ryan put his phone back in his pocket as he went to wet some paper towels in the sink. 

The door opened, and Ryan felt his blood run cold as he glanced up and saw Shane coming towards him. 

“It’s taking you forever,” Shane chuckled. “How hard is it to do this?” He took one of the paper towels from Ryan’s hand and began dabbing it against his shirt, smiling when some of the orange stain started to wash away. 

“Yeah, sorry, I ended up needing to use the bathroom.” Ryan lied, breathing a sigh of relief that Shane didn’t seem upset at all. When his shirt was as clean as it could be, Shane tossed all the paper towels into the trash can. 

“So when are you gonna be honest with me about why you want to go back to the Sallie house?” Shane asked as they made their way back to the table. He kept his voice low, still using his human voice, but bordering on his true voice enough that Ryan shot an apprehensive glance in his direction. 

“I told you before, I want to overcome my fear.” He frowned, not understanding why Shane refused to believe that. “Maybe this time I’ll actually make it to morning, instead of chickening out.” He laughed nervously. 

“I know you well enough to know something is going on,” Shane bit his lip. “It’s just weird to me that you choose now of all times to go back to that place. Especially since we just did a demon investigation, and your rule is one per season.” Shane shrugged. “I’m glad we’re going back, but I feel like something is being kept hidden from me.” 

“I’m not keeping secrets, Shane.” Ryan insisted. He really didn’t have anything to hide. He wanted to go back to the house because he wanted to see how Shane would behave there now that his demon side had been exposed, and the Sallie house was a location so many people were begging them to revisit that it was an easy place to suggest for an episode. 

“Fine, but if you try to pull anything,” Shane warned, “I won’t hesitate to exact revenge.” He said, retaining a scowl for only a moment before laughing softly. “I’m just kidding Ryan,” He assured, noticing how Ryan stiffened and his eyes widened. 

Ryan nodded as they finally got back to their table, sitting down moments before a server came over to present their food. Ryan fidgeted as he thanked the waiter, his appetite gone as he stared down at the plate. Shane was quick to begin eating, shoving food in his face, forgetting about manners for a moment. Ryan couldn’t bring himself to eat, too nervous that he would just vomit up anything he tried to keep down. Shane was giving Ryan whiplash with the way he seemed to flip between personalities. One minute, he was threatening Ryan and flashing red eyes, only to go back to joking around and acting completely innocent the next second. Ryan didn’t know which side of Shane was real, and he was beginning to question his own head, thinking maybe he was losing his mind. 

Shane looked up at Ryan, gesturing to his plate. “Are you gonna eat that?” He cocked an eyebrow, head tilted to the side slightly. 

“I’m not as hungry as I thought.” Ryan shrugged, pushing the plate towards Shane. “Help yourself.” Shane shrugged as he took the plate, shoveling more food down his throat. When the plate was almost empty, Shane offered it to Ryan again, wanting to make sure his friend didn’t starve. Ryan shook his head, telling Shane to finish eating. He didn’t have any desire to eat right now, but he didn’t want the food to go to waste.  
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Shane asked Ryan again as he finished eating. “You’re acting really weird.” 

“I’m acting weird?” Ryan asked incredulously. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” 

Ryan froze. He should’ve known better by now. He needed to watch what he said, he couldn’t risk upsetting Shane. “Nothing, sorry.” Ryan sighed, dropping his tense shoulders. “I’m just stressed, that’s why I’ve been acting so off.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Shane’s behavior did have Ryan on edge and his mind was drowning in inescapable stress. He would have to play off the stress as work related, as he suspected telling Shane that he was the cause of the stress was a road that only lead to more problems. 

“We all get stressed from time to time,” Shane agreed, pulling out his wallet and leaving money on the table to pay for their meal. “We’re almost done with this season, then you can take a break and destress.” He reminded Ryan, who had never been so excited to get to the end of a season before. A part of Ryan wondered if he could somehow make this the series finale. If the show ended, Ryan wouldn’t be scared as often, and Shane might grow bored of not having a human to feed off of anymore. 

Ryan pushed these thoughts aside as he stood up and pulled his jacket on. The fans would hate him if he decided to end the series for no reason, and Shane would insist they continue it. Even Buzzfeed would likely tell Ryan he had no choice but to keep the show going, since it was bringing a lot of positive attention to the site as a whole. Even if Ryan could manage to escape making Unsolved with Shane, he was sure the demon would have other ways to keep him fearful. Ryan wasn’t exactly a difficult guy to scare. 

Shane got up, running his fingers through his hair as he followed Ryan back out to their car. The drive back to the office was mostly silent, similar to the drive to the restaurant. Shane gripped the wheel tightly, a scowl on his face as he drove. He was obviously upset about something, and Ryan was too afraid to ask what was bothering him. He figured he was the problem, and shutting up was the smarter option than agitating Shane. 

When they were finally back at the office, Ryan went to his office to continue the script he had been working on before Shane had insisted on taking him to lunch. Shane, on the other hand, announced that he had business elsewhere, and promptly disappeared to another part of the office building to do whatever he needed. Ryan was relieved to see the man go, thankful that he would finally have a moment to sit back and relax. He no longer had to worry about Shane, at least not for the few hours left of his shift. 

-

Three days had passed, and Shane had been relatively normal. He occasionally said things in a voice that made the hair on Ryan’s arms stand on end, and Ryan distinctly recalled four occasions on which Shane’s eyes seemed to shift to blood red while he was using his computer, but Shane had done nothing to give Ryan the impression that he was in any sort of danger. The more time that passed, the more Shane seemed to return to his normal self. When Friday finally rolled around, however, things seemed to change. That was the day they were boarding a plane and going back to the Sallie house for another episode of Unsolved. Ryan swore to Shane that he would survive the entire night this time, a promise both men were silently doubting. Ryan suspected the first strange noise would have him bolting out of the house, especially now that he had seen Shane’s true side. 

Returning to the Sallie house was an experiment for Ryan to discover if being around another demonic presence would trigger Shane’s dark side again, or if the occurrence had been a one time thing. Ryan prayed for the latter, but suspected the former. 

“Calm down,” Shane mumbled to Ryan as their plane began to take off. Ryan frowned, as he felt like he was holding himself together pretty well. He didn’t think he seemed nervous--he wasn’t even fidgeting or bouncing his leg at all! He briefly reminded himself that Shane had claimed to feed off his fear, and, if that was true, Shane could probably sense even the smallest amount of distress radiating from Ryan. 

“I am calm,” Ryan maintained. “Maybe a little nervous, but I always get like that before these investigations.” He shrugged, closing his eyes. He liked to sleep on these flights, especially since he rarely got any sleep those nights. Shane didn’t say anything, just flipped a page in the book he was reading, deciding it best not to bother the sleeping man. Ryan was going to need all the rest he could get before they entered that house anyway. 

-

“Hey demons,” Shane called out, grinning. “Remember us?” 

Ryan vividly remembered every detail of how this house had looked and felt the first time he had entered it. Everything appeared exactly the way it had been when he and Shane had left last time, but something about the atmosphere was distinctly different. The walls of the house seemed to pulsate around him, as if the house itself was alive. Ryan felt light-headed and weak, like the entity in the house was sapping him of his strength. His heart was beating too fast and his breathing was shallow, and Ryan felt the undeniable urge to run out of this place as fast as humanly possible. Fear quickly overcame him like a wave during high tide, gripping his mind, nearly causing him to collapse to his knees. 

Shane reached out and caught Ryan, helping him stand and allowing the smaller man to lean on him for support. He adjusted his clear-framed glasses, looking around the living room. “Demon?” He called out. “Ryan missed you, so we came back!” 

“Stop it dude!” Ryan whispered angrily, playfully hitting Shane’s arm. Fear was still exuding from him in waves, the scent of it intoxicating to the demon. 

Enjoying how easily he made the human squirm, Shane continued to taunt the demon, wanting to get Ryan as afraid as possible. Shane already knew Sallie wouldn’t try anything as long as Shane was around. “Demon, come play with my hair! Prove that you’re real!” 

There was a small bump as a plastic potted plant was pushed off a shelf behind Ryan, falling to the ground. Ryan jumped out of his skin, quickly running to hide behind Shane. “What was that-?” He gasped out. “That was her showing herself, dude.” Ryan insisted. 

“Or, maybe, the plant just fell because it was on the edge of the shelf.” Shane countered, kneeling down and picking up the plant. Ryan was unconvinced, and he watched nervously as Shane fixed the plant. 

“If there are any spirits in here,” Ryan called out. “Can you make that plant fall over again?” He requested. He and Shane sat in silence for a moment, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. 

“I don’t like anyone is goi-” Before Shane could finish, the plant shifted towards the edge of the shelf seemingly on its own, eliciting another shout from the terrified Ryan. 

“No way!” He cried out. There was no way anyone could deny that he had proof of a spirit. Plants didn’t just move around on their own like that. Even the wind wasn’t a believable explanation, considering all of the windows were securely shut. 

Shane basked in the fear that was coming off of Ryan. The littlest things sent him running with fear, and all it did was further delight the demon. Ryan was such an easy source of food--like an all-you-can-eat buffet for Shane. He didn’t even have to try, and Ryan had been keeping him fed all week. 

The more the two of them explored the house, the more afraid Ryan grew, and the more drunk Shane started to feel. His mind was swirling and he felt like he was starting to lose control. He tried to reign himself in, maintaining his human form and being gentle with Ryan, but Shane was quickly losing his grip on his own animalistic instincts. It was hardly his fault--he couldn’t control the way Ryan’s fear played with his mind in the same way alcohol allowed humans to let loose of their inhibitions. 

When Ryan was finally content with the footage they had, he and Shane sat down in a pair of armchairs to talk about their experience with the house for a bit, in order to give the fans more discussion. 

“I don’t care what anyone says, I have proof that a demon is infesting this house.” 

“You have proof that wind can make doors open and plants fall.” Shane shot back. 

“How were you not scared of anything that happened here?” Ryan asked, exasperated. 

“Because all of it can be explained by physics!” 

The two continued going back and forth like this for a bit, Ryan insistent that a demon was in this house, ready to pounce and kill them both. He fidgeted in his chair, unable to get comfortable as every sound made him flinch, and unexplained tingles kept running down his spin. 

“I’m sorry, but anyone who believes that what we saw tonight is real proof of demons is an idiot.” Shane huffed. “Why do these demons only ever mess with inanimate objects? Why don’t they even attack me when I repeatedly ask them to?” He threw his arms in the air, wildly waving them about as he shouted, “Come gouge my eyes out! Rip my spine out of my back!” He begged.

Ryan watched Shane with wide-eyes. “Stop it, man! We’re spending the night here, and you’re asking for death.” He said, laughing nervously as he spoke, leaning away from Shane. “Demons, you can hurt him all you want, but I respect you. Please leave me alone.” Ryan begged, wanting to make sure he stayed safe. These games Shane played scared him, and he was growing less and less able to tell what was a joke and what was real. 

Shane continued taunting the demons, but nothing happened outside of a small creak coming from one of their chairs, which Shane was quick to attribute to the age of the furniture. Ryan sighed, reluctant to plunge himself into total darkness as he turned off the cameras, the two of them getting ready to go to sleep for the night.

Once they were lying on the floor in their sleeping bags, Ryan felt wide awake. He stared up at the ceiling, twiddling his thumbs as he tried to force himself to relax. Nothing worked, as every time sleep tugged at his mind, a memory of Shane’s demonic form splintered through his thoughts and flung him back to full consciousness. 

“Go to sleep,” Shane said quietly after a while. “Stop worrying so much.” 

“I’m trying to go to sleep,” Ryan huffed. “I’m just scared. It’s hard to rest when you’re in a house with a terrifying monster that’s out for your blood.” Ryan made it sound like he was referring to the demon they had come to investigate, but, in reality, the creature he feared most was the one lying right beside him. He was worried that closing his eyes would make him vulnerable to another attack, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle Shane’s true form again. 

“Just think calming thoughts,” Shane encouraged. “And you’ll fall asleep in no time.” He closed his own eyes. He needed Ryan to fall asleep soon. Once Ryan was asleep, Shane could fill the man’s mind with nightmares; Shane suspected Ryan’s fear would be through the roof at that point. Ryan turned Shane greedy; instead of thankfully accepting whatever fear he could scrounge up from the occasional human, Shane had grown to only want the delicious taste of the terror that Ryan emitted whenever Shane was around. It was so sweet-tasting, and Shane was addicted. He wanted to drag Ryan into the depths of hell itself and hold him there forever, where Shane could feast on him and never have to worry about doing any work for his food ever again. 

Shane became so lost in his thoughts, that he almost didn’t notice when Ryan was suddenly fast asleep beside him. Ryan was surprisingly calm, leaving Shane to assume he was enjoying a rather pleasant dream. A cheshire grin coiled onto his face as he placed a hand on Ryan’s forehead, twisting the sunshine of his dreams into storm clouds, the peaceful setting quickly turning into a hellish landscape. 

Shane watched as Ryan’s face twisted into a strained grimace, small grunts and groans escaping his throat as he tried to kick off the sleeping bag he was encased in. Shane hummed contentedly at the energy that fed into his being. He hadn’t felt this full in centuries, and he never wanted this feeling to end. It was the most strength he had known since his fall from heaven, and Shane basked in the vigor that seemed to fill every fiber of his being. 

Another evil plan hatched in Shane’s demented mind, and he decided it might be fun to play a little game with his human toy. He shifted to his demon form, eyes red, wings standing on end, black horns curling out from his forehead. He scooted closer to Ryan, the adjacence of their proximity so near that Shane’s chest was almost touching Ryan’s back. The demon slung an arm around the human’s waist, ensuring Ryan had no way to move out of his grip. 

Shane wasn’t particularly fond of the closeness, but it would all be worth it to feel the raw panic that Ryan would experience upon waking up to such a devilish creature holding him close in the same way a child clutches their favorite stuffed animal. 

“The only thing you have left to fear is me,” Shane whispered, his words falling on deaf ears. “But you should be terrified, Bergara.” He chuckled softly, the noise a small rumble in his chest. He was going to have a lot of fun taking care of his new pet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why, but this chapter was really hard for me to write. I really struggled to get the wording for a lot of it correct, and the pacing was really difficult to figure out. I'm pretty happy with this end result, however.

It felt like his body had been shoved into a furnace in the middle of the night. If Ryan didn’t know any better, he would think the fires of hell had been set ablaze in the room around him. When he finally opened his eyes, all Ryan could see was red-tinted darkness. He was acutely aware of the arms clamped around his torso and the chest pressed against his back. 

Ryan tried to move, only to find that the arms around him grew tighter, rendering him immobile. Ryan lay in silence, struggling to figure out what he should do. He was too afraid to turn around and look at Shane, knowing full-well a demonic face was awaiting his glance. He eventually settled on reaching a hand outward to figure out what the red tent around his body was. As soon as his hand made contact with the leathery material, he jerked it back with a frightened yelp. 

Shane had his wings wrapped around Ryan, like a barrier between him and the outside world. Ryan wasn’t sure if the wings were meant to be a cage trapping him inside with the demon, or a gate to keep other demons out. Either way, a tingle caught somewhere between fear and excitement coursed through his body, and Ryan resented himself for not being more afraid of the demon’s deadly embrace. 

As if sensing that the human had woken up, Shane opened his eyes. “Morning,” He said in a raspy voice, startling Ryan, who twisted his neck around to look at Shane. He immediately regretted this choice, as he came face-to-face with the most terrifying version of Shane he had seen so far. Aside from the demon’s usual blood-red wings and hungry ruby irises, a pair of inky black horns twisted out of his forehead, and all of his teeth seemed to sharpen like needles. The worst part of it, was that, as soon as the pair locked eyes, Ryan found himself in an unbreakable trance. Shane seemed to hypnotize him, and no matter how much fear he exuded that made his mind scream at his body to escape, Ryan stayed in that position, staring right into the soulless eyes. 

Shane practically moaned in delight as soon as Ryan’s fear kicked in. It was becoming a familiar taste, but Shane still loved it. It was sweeter than sugar, and it made him feel as if he had just scarfed down a five-course meal. He removed his arms from around Ryan’s waist, reaching out to grab his chin. 

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, his voice hurting Ryan’s ears. Whenever Shane spoke, Ryan received a sensation similar to sandpaper being rubbed against his inner ear. 

As much as he hated to admit it, Ryan nodded, “Yeah, surprisingly so. I think this is the best rest I’ve ever gotten in one of these places.” Shane grinned. His plan was working perfectly. If he could make the human feel safe around him, Ryan would never want to leave, and Shane would have a perfect little plaything always at his side. The idea was almost too perfect. 

“I’m glad.” Shane nodded, running a thumb down Ryan’s cheek. “I think we’re going to stay here for another night.” 

“Wait, what? That’s not part of the plan, Shane.” Ryan frowned. They never did that. There was no purpose to it, especially when they already had all the footage they needed for this episode. Ryan highly doubted the spirits in the house were going to show themselves or do anything as long as Shane was around. He saw no point in forcing himself to waste a day in a strange house and spend another night sleeping on an uncomfortable floor with a terrifying creature beside him; Ryan much preferred the idea of getting on a plane, going home and curling up on his soft mattress under a warm blanket. 

“It’s part of the plan now,” Shane flashed a grin, showing all of his razor-sharp teeth. “I have a good feeling that we might get some footage of a real demon tonight.” He explained, snickering to himself. It didn’t take Ryan long to discern that Shane was referring to himself--he was just going to torture Ryan on camera and then hold the footage over Ryan’s head as a constant threat. 

“Shane, I want to go home tonight. I’m not staying another night in this house.” He shook his head, sitting up. 

“I don’t remember asking you what you wanted to do.” Shane snapped. “We’re staying another night. That’s final.” The look Shane shot Ryan quickly silenced him, snuffing out any flicker of defiance. 

“Yeah, okay,” Ryan nodded. “We’re staying another night. We can get some more footage.” He sighed, trying to make the best of the situation. It was difficult to find any reason to be excited about staying in the house for another night, but Ryan could at least try to cheer himself up. 

The more time he spent with Shane, the more Ryan felt himself wondering if he had actually been dragged to hell, and he just hadn’t noticed yet. His life was starting to feel suspiciously like that, as it became increasingly difficult for him to feel anything other than horror and hopelessness. Ryan was trapped in this game, and he saw no end in sight, nor any way for him to come out the winner. 

-

The sun had finally set, and Ryan was finally permitted to turn on the camera so they could go searching for new footage of the demons in the house. Ryan saw no reason to do this, as he was fully aware no demons other than Shane would show themselves in the house tonight. He still got his flashlight and microphone ready, however, needing some way to pass the time other than sitting next to Shane twiddling his thumbs. 

“I’m gonna go upstairs,” Ryan decided. “We didn’t really spend much time in the nursery, and that was where a lot of the reported activity was.” 

Shane just nodded, waving a dismissive hand to Ryan. He didn’t have any desire to go upstairs, he was too busy reading a book by flashlight. Ryan let out a small sigh of relief as he headed up the stairs. Shane was going to leave him alone, which meant he could toss the film equipment aside and relax away from the hold of the demonic being. Ryan really just needed an excuse to hide somewhere safe, and, while a haunted house wasn’t the safest haven, a secluded room where he could be alone made Ryan feel a lot safer than the sleeping bag next to the most evil thing Ryan had ever met. 

Ryan turned off the camera and tossed the equipment aside, only leaving his flashlight on so the darkness didn’t feel so daunting. He sat down on the bed in the bedroom he had wandered into, resting his back against the headboard and groaning. He momentarily entertained the idea of sneaking out of the house through the window, but quickly dismissed this idea, realizing he would have nothing but the clothes on his back, and Shane would likely have no problem tracking him down. When Shane had marked Ryan, he had implied it created a connection. Whether he liked it or not, Ryan was a prisoner, shackled to Shane for the rest of his life. He wondered if he would be freed in the afterlife, or if Shane was now the sole owner of Ryan’s soul. 

Ryan closed his eyes, exhaustion tugging on his mind. He opened his mouth to yawn, but, instead, he screamed. He felt something grab his wrist, and he could have sworn he heard a girl’s voice begging, “Come play with me”. 

Ryan wasted no time getting out of bed and running out of the room so fast that he nearly tripped over his own feet. He recalled the story they had found about the girl who claimed Sallie was her imaginary friend, and it made sense to him that perhaps the young girl was looking for a new friend. Completely forgetting the film equipment he had left behind in the bedroom, Ryan bolted down the stairs, flinging a hand out to grab the railing so he didn’t go tumbling head over foot down the steps. 

Shane looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps pounding on the stairs, lips coiling into a smirk when he was instantaneously able to read the terror Ryan was feeling. Something up there had spooked his pet, and Shane sent up a silent thank you to whatever demon had been upstairs. 

Ryan seemed to lose all sense of logic as he sprinted for the couch where Shane was seated, jumping onto the cushion beside him. He buried his face in the demon’s shoulder, his entire body trembling. Ryan didn’t say anything as he curled up beside Shane, trying to calm himself down. 

Shane was surprised, to say the least, when Ryan cuddled against his side like this. It didn’t make sense that, after being spooked by a demon, Ryan would turn to a more terrifying demon for comfort. Even so, Shane wasn’t going to push the human away or complain; if Ryan always came to him when he was scared, it would keep Shane even better fed than he already was. It was a win-win situation--Ryan felt safe, and Shane never went hungry. 

Sadistic as he was, Shane silently shifted into his supernatural form, using his wings to encase himself and Ryan the way he had done that morning. Ryan lifted his head when the room suddenly seemed to change. 

“What are you-?” He gestured weakly. “Why?” 

Shane looked at Ryan curiously for a moment. “I could ask you the same thing,” He retorted. 

“I got scared.” 

“I realized that already, Bergara.” Shane huffed. “But you’re scared of me, too.” 

“You like when I’m afraid. You told me it...feeds you.” He sounded disgusted when he said that. 

Shane didn’t reply, removing his gaze from Ryan and biting his lip. Something about this didn’t make sense to him. Ryan was still terrified, he could feel the fright pulsating from him with every beat of his heart, yet Ryan chose to stay in this position. He chose to sit so he was practically in Shane’s lap; he chose to act like this antagonist was his friend. Ryan was purposely feeding Shane, that was the only logical explanation the demon could come up with. The realization that his toy liked being played with only made Shane feel even more possessive of him. 

Shane chuckled softly. Ryan liked being made afraid for Shane’s sake. It was pathetic how the human was baring himself like this. He was asking to be used and torn apart and tortured. He had fallen right into Shane’s trap, and there was no key to open the cage he was locking himself in. The realization of this made Shane smile wider than he ever had before. 

Ryan realized that maybe he was making a mistake by turning to his captor for comfort. He grew even more nervous when he noticed the smile on Shane’s face, which was unnerving to say the least. Still, Ryan found it hard to pull himself away from the warmth Shane provided. It had lured him in, and now he saw no reason to try and leave. Whether he realized it or not, Ryan had become a frog in boiling water.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all of my proofreaders know how much I appreciate them. They get to help me sift through the garbage that is every first draft, and because of them this story is as close to perfect as I can possibly make it. They're the unsung heroes of this entire process so far.

Ryan remained silent for the entire drive back from the airport to the office. He never even opened his mouth to speak, obviously giving Shane some sort of silent treatment. Shane didn’t say anything, either, smart enough to realize the human was in no mood for conversation. The tension in the car was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Ryan was growing antsy to get back to the office, where he could absorb himself in his work and ignore Shane for as long as possible. 

All Ryan could think about was that second night in the Sallie house. At the time, it had seemed completely safe for him to climb into the demon’s warm embrace. Shane’s arms had seemed like the safest place in the house, and Ryan’s desperation for protection had led him to invite himself into the haven. It wasn’t until they left the house that Ryan realized the mistake he had made, and the only solution he could think of was to put as much distance as possible between himself and the other man. If he stayed away from Shane, the demon would eventually lose his grip on Ryan. 

Shane didn’t have plans to let go of Ryan. He was willing to go out of his way to keep the human in his grasp, no matter what it took. He could tell by the way Ryan ignored him that the man was trying to shut Shane out, but Shane had already wormed his way deep inside of Ryan’s psyche, and there was nothing that would be able to uproot him. The sooner Ryan accepted that he belonged to Shane, the better off he would be. Shane suspected, however, that this would be a hard lesson for the human to learn. 

When they finally arrived back at the office, Ryan pulled his keys from the ignition, shoved them into his pocket and slammed the car door shut. He grabbed his bag from the backseat and rushed off to punch in for his shift, never once sparing Shane a single glance. 

The demon chuckled to himself, amused by the childish games Ryan was playing. He was acting like a kindergartner on the playground who was angry with their friend for calling them stupid; Shane doubted that Ryan actually believed what he was doing would help him escape the demon in any way. It should have been obvious to him by now, especially with the three scars still etched into his skin, that the demon was here to stay. Even a blessing from every priest in California wouldn’t be enough to drive Shane away; Ryan had already been claimed as the property of hell. 

 

By the time Shane had gotten settled down in his desk, Ryan was already hunched over in his chair, fingers flying across the keyboard as he typed whatever it was he was working on now. He didn’t even look up to acknowledge Shane when he sat down at his own desk, right beside Ryan’s. 

“You know,” Shane commented, not even able to draw the gaze of Ryan for a split second. “We have to film a Q and A for the most recent episode we did.” They had yet to even pick the questions they wanted to answer for the episode, and Shane could already hear the fans complaining about the lack of a Post Mortem to go along with the episode. 

Ryan mentally groaned. He didn’t want to let the fans down by not giving them their regular videos, but he didn’t want to spend any more time alone with Shane than he already had to. He didn’t reply, just continued typing, the speed of his typing increasing as he tried his best to act like he hadn’t heard Shane. 

The demon raised an eyebrow, repeating, “Ryan, are we gonna film anything today?” He was again met with silence, which admittedly frustrated him. There was an extent to which he understood the human’s compulsion to shun him, but when it came to matters of business, Shane had expected Ryan to at least act civil. 

Ryan knew it was a bad idea to ignore Shane when he was trying to discuss Unsolved. Their whole job was to produce content for that series, and refusing to do so was bound to get Ryan in hot water. Regardless, Ryan felt safer ignoring his duties than communicating with Shane right now. He had played too far into Shane’s hand the previous night, and now he needed to find an escape route before it was too late and the walls closed in. 

“Ryan,” Shane snapped for the third time in five minutes. When he realized the human wasn’t going to give him the attention he sought, the demon turned to another tactic. Tapping into the link he had formed with Ryan, Shane caused Ryan’s mind to fill with a horrific vision of some sort of demonic creature. 

Ryan nearly shouted when he suddenly couldn’t shake the image of a man with glowing eyes and blood-stained skin from his mind. He tried to close his eyes and shake the image away, but it seemed to grow more and more vivid as Ryan tried to push it away. It didn’t take long for Ryan to realize that Shane had a hand in this happening, and he snapped his head up to glare at the demon. As soon as he looked at Shane, the delineation of the monster vanished from his mind as if it had never been there in the first place. 

“Post Mortem.” Shane repeated. “We need to film it. We were supposed to have it up five days ago.” He frowned. “Everyone is probably freaking out now, and we should really get it filmed and edited before it’s too late.” 

Ryan bit his lip. He really didn’t want to do this, but it seemed like Shane was concerned with doing it less because he wanted to play games with Ryan and more because he was genuinely worried about not giving their fans the content they were expecting. It helped Ryan relax a bit when he realized Shane was focused on business; perhaps the torture was done and Ryan could finally simmer down. 

-

The creature hobbled toward him, rotten flesh falling off it’s skeleton, yellow teeth gnashing as it eyed him hungrily. It reached out for him, gnarled hand with jagged claws closing around his neck, sunken black eyes boring right through him as it squeezed the breath out of him. He struggled to fight, trying to push the creature off of him, to no avail. The corners of his vision became hazy and he felt his heart slow down as his lungs became empty, the life drained from him. 

Ryan bolted upright, gulping air into his lungs as he tried to get rid of the tight knot in his chest. He fumbled around as he kicked off the blankets that hugged his body, slapping his hand down on his nightstand as he tried to find his glasses. 

He climbed out of bed, stumbling down to his kitchen on weak legs. He grabbed a glass of water, downing it in one sip, bringing relief to his dry throat. Ryan leaned against the kitchen counter, breathing still heavier than normal as he worked to calm himself down. It had been a nightmare, he was safe, and nothing was going to hurt him. He kept repeating that in his head, but it didn’t help calm him down. The more Ryan contemplated the nightmare, the more afraid he was to go back to sleep. 

Once he was finally back in his room, Ryan sat down on his bed and picked up his phone. He stared at the screen, thumb hovering over the call button on Shane’s number. Ryan mentally kicked himself when he finally hit the button; he already felt like he was making a mistake. 

“Hello?” Shane picked up, his voice hoarse. He had obviously been asleep prior to the phone call. 

“Hey,” Ryan said quietly. “Did I wake you-?” He asked, concerned. 

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal. You need something?” 

“Yeah, I, uh, can’t sleep.” Ryan admitted. “And I was hoping there was a chance you might be willing to,” Ryan paused, unsure if he actually wanted to ask for this. 

“Willing to what?” 

“Spend the night.” Ryan finally mumbled. 

“You don’t live that far away, of course I’ll come over.” This put a huge grin on Shane’s face. Yet again, the human was making the exact move Shane needed for things to work. 

Ryan felt uneasy at the excitement that rung in Shane’s voice, but he shrugged it off. He really didn’t want to be alone right now, and overthinking this was just going to make an already bad situation even worse. 

“I’ll see you in, like, twenty minutes.” Ryan sighed. “I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.” 

Right on cue, Shane came into the apartment thirty-nine minutes past midnight. Ryan was in bed, curled up under the blankets, staring at his ceiling fan in silence. Shane made his way into the bedroom, silently padding over to the bed and nudging Ryan. 

“You want to share your bed or you want me to crash on the couch?” 

“I wouldn’t have invited you over if I didn’t want you to sleep in here with me.” Ryan rolled his eyes as he scooted over to make room for Shane. 

“I was just asking to make sure,” Shane said defensively, putting his hands up in surrender as he climbed into the bed beside Ryan, who wasted no time curling up beside Shane, burying his face in the larger man’s shoulder. Ryan noted the smoky sent that clung to Shane’s body, like he had just been at a campfire all night. Ryan decided it wasn’t worth questioning this; Shane probably had an explanation, and it wasn’t worth wasting the time to ask about it. 

“Night,” Ryan mumbled as he closed his eyes, tendrils of exhaustion spreading through the length of his body. 

-

The apartment was in flames. Smoke made his eyes water and his lungs burn, and Ryan felt like his skin was melting from the intensity of the heat. He tried to find a way to get out of his room, but everything was ablaze. He looked down and realized his own clothing had caught fire, securing his fate of burning alive. He tried to find some way to escape, but there seemed to be nowhere to go as he ran around the room, fire quickly engulfing his entire body. 

Shane grunted as an elbow crashed into his stomach, opening his eyes to be met with the sight of Ryan flailing his limbs to and fro. Shane rolled his eyes, reaching out and shaking Ryan awake, none too pleased with the violent convulsions overtaking the human’s body. 

Ryan awoke, staring up at Shane with wide, glassy eyes. He breathed a small sigh of relief when he realized there was no fire, however, he did still feel extremely hot, like a fire was burning inside of his body. 

“You okay?” Shane inquired, lips twitching into a knowing smirk. Ryan wanted to slap the expression off of his face. Instead, weakness caused Ryan to break down, moving back into Shane’s embrace. 

“Just a nightmare,” Even though Ryan suspected Shane had been the one giving him the nightmare, he still sought safety, and Shane was the only place where he could find it. Ryan couldn’t deny that he was growing more and more attached to the demon. He didn’t like the fear, but he was growing more and more used to it. It had become his default setting, and as more time passed, Ryan began noticing his fear less. His frayed nerves were still there, but when he wasn’t in the midst of a suffocating nightmare, he felt relatively stable. Even when Ryan felt steady, Shane could still sense underlying fear. Ryan still jumped at little noises, and his heart always seemed to be beating a little too fast. He would never truly get over his fear, but Shane loved it that way. 

“Go back to sleep,” Shane said quietly, wrapping an arm around Ryan. “I doubt you’ll have any more nightmares tonight.” Perhaps he was trusting the demon more than he should have, but Ryan relaxed and allowed sleep to envelope him. 

As had become the norm, Shane couldn’t let Ryan stay at peace for long. He decided not to give the human any more nightmares, planning instead to make the terror something in the waking world instead. He decided to let Ryan have a little bit of peace for the rest of the night before the horrors that would befall him the next day.

-

Everything was normal the next morning, or so it seemed. Ryan woke up in Shane’s embrace, the same familiar warmth and smoky scent clouding his senses. As Ryan shifted in the bed, Shane also stirred, instinctively tightening his grip on Ryan. 

“I need you to let go of me, Shane,” Ryan said, chuckling nervously as he tried to get out of the bed. 

“No.” Shane mumbled. When Ryan tried breaking free from his grip once again, Shane frowned, digging his claws into Ryan’s hips, forcing the smaller man to stay still as he bit back a cry of pain. 

“Shane!” Ryan whined, clenching his jaw, trying to ignore the pain. “That hurts. Please-” 

“I’m not hurting you.” Shane denied. “I just wanted to keep cuddling.” He insisted. 

“Your claws are-” 

“I don’t have claws.” Shane cut Ryan off again, staring at him intently with wide eyes, feigning innocence. 

Ryan sighed. It was useless to try and win this argument. He was just going to have to stay here in bed with Shane until the demon decided to release him. Ryan had never expected his bed to become a prisoner, but it was feeling more and more like everywhere he went was its own inescapable prison as long as Shane was there. 

“You know I would never hurt you.” Shane continued. 

“Of course you wouldn’t.” Ryan agreed through grit teeth, knowing full-well they were both lying to themselves. Shane took some sort of sadistic pleasure in torturing Ryan. It was almost comedic how he was now insisting that he didn’t like to see Ryan in pain. 

“I love you, Ryan. I just want you to be happy.” 

Ryan didn’t like hearing Shane use the word love. He didn’t want the demon to say he loved Ryan, and Ryan didn’t want to return the sentiment. Shane had taken one of the sweetest phrases known to human tongue, and had tainted it. He had made the word “love” sound ugly, and Ryan hated it.

Ryan scoffed at Shane’s claim. He couldn’t care less about whether or not Ryan was happy. As long as Ryan was afraid of him, Shane was content. He could happily watch Ryan completely break down and fall apart without batting an eye, as long as he was being fed. 

Ryan should have been angered by all of this. He should have been furiously screaming in the demon’s face. He should have been shutting Shane out, running away, starting a new life somewhere the demon could never find him. That was what a logical person would have at least tried to do. Ryan had always considered himself a logical person, but in the presence of this being, he turned into a helpless child. 

Finally bringing himself to speak again, Ryan looked up and met Shane’s gaze. He should have sensed that what he was feeling and saying was wrong, but he liked the odd sense of happiness that was starting to ebb its way into his thoughts as he contemplated the fact that Shane had just uttered those three words to him for the first time. Maybe things were going to get better; perhaps this was Shane’s way of honestly saying he would start looking out for Ryan’s happiness.

Shane stared at Ryan expectantly, waiting for what the human was going to say next. Throwing caution into the wind, the corner of Ryan’s mouth fluttered up into a smile as he replied, 

“I love you, too, Shane.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be honest, I've had a rough couple of days mentally, and finding the motivation to write this chapter was tough. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I really wanted to get an update posted, so hopefully it lives up to everyone's expectations.

Ryan had been afraid saying those words to Shane had been a mistake. He wasn’t even sure if he had meant them, but saying them had seemed to make Shane happy. The pair had spent the entire day in Ryan’s apartment, lazily cuddling in Ryan’s bed and watching something on Netflix. Shane had ordered them food, and aside from the few times he got up to use the bathroom, Ryan never actually had to get out of his bed for the duration of the day. 

A small part of him was ashamed for enjoying being with Shane so much. Ryan had been content curling up under Shane’s arm and burrowing into his warmth as they passed an entire day at each other’s side. He should have forced the demon to leave, keeping with the promise he had made to himself to distance himself from Shane. Instead, Ryan had foolishly welcomed the demon into his house with open arms, and, when Shane had tried to leave, Ryan had practically gotten on his knees, begging him to stay another night. Ryan should have been ashamed of himself, but he was beginning to find himself happy with Shane, and it was hard to see any problem with keeping the demon around anymore. 

-

As Ryan walked into the office Monday morning, he noticed someone talking to Shane. He felt a twinge of jealousy spike through him as he watched the two interact. Shane was leaning back in his chair, smiling up at the girl, who grinned back at him, leaning back with both palms pressed against the surface of his desk. The way the two looked at each other, and the way the woman seemed to invite herself into Shane’s space, gave Ryan the impression that they were close friends, maybe more. He didn’t like it, suddenly feeling like his position in Shane’s life was being threatened. 

As Ryan approached the desk, trying to remain calm, he nodded toward Shane and the woman, mumbling, “Morning,” under his breath as he dropped his bag onto his desk and took a seat. He recognized the woman from the few times he had seen her around the office in the past. Her name was Sara Rubin, and, while Ryan had never really spoken to her before, it seemed Shane was friends with her. 

Sara offered Ryan a polite smile, pushing herself up off the desk and standing up straight again. 

“I’ll see you later, Shane.” She said, tucking a curl behind her ear. Her words were oddly stiff, contradicting the relaxed smile on her face. Ryan was struggling to piece together whether or not these two got along, or if this was all some act. At first glance, it appeared as if the two of them enjoyed each other’s presence, but upon listening to their conversation, it came across as if there was some deep animosity between them. Ryan silently prayer the latter was true; he didn’t like the thought of this Sara girl coming in between him and Shane.

“Ryan,” The sound of Shane’s voice snapped Ryan out of his thoughts. “You feeling okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ryan shrugged. 

“You just seem a little,” Shane paused, contemplating. “Distant? Upset? I don’t know.” 

“Just a little tired.” Ryan lied, shaking his head and faking a yawn to convince Shane that he was telling the truth. Neither of them said anything more, falling into a tense silence. “I didn’t know you and Sara were friends.” He finally broke the quiet after a few minutes. 

Shane looked up, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “I wouldn’t say friends.” He shook his head. “We’re coworkers, that’s all.” 

Ryan felt like Shane was hiding something. The demon’s reply had been too snappy, and he obviously wasn’t keen on discussing Sara. Ryan wanted to push for answers, but he decided to keep his mouth shut and not push Shane. 

The rest of the morning consisted of the two working in silence. Shane never acknowledged Ryan, wrapped up in whatever work he was doing, and Ryan never spoke because he was too nervous he might upset the demon. 

When noon finally rolled around, Shane silently left his desk, presumably going to eat lunch. Ryan was finally able to release the tension in his shoulders and unclench his jaw, no longer feeling like he had to sit perfectly still. Ryan rolled his chair away from his desk, getting up and scanning the office around him. He was supposed to be going on his lunch break, but he had more important matters to attend to while Shane was gone. 

-

“Sara? Can we talk for a minute?” Ryan asked shyly, hardly even able to make eye contact with the girl as he approached her. Ryan usually didn’t have an issue approaching people, but something about Sara made him nervous. She wasn’t intimidating by any means, she was actually a very friendly person. Her connection to Shane, however, made Ryan’s stomach turn as he started wondering if perhaps she was a demon herself, intent on ripping Ryan’s soul out of his body and out of Shane’s hands. 

 

“Of course.” She smiled up at Ryan, closing her laptop. “What’s on your mind?” 

“I, uh,” Ryan took a seat in a vacant chair next to her desk. “I was wondering if you and Shane-”

“There’s nothing going on between us.” Sara interrupted quickly. 

Ryan was taken aback by her sudden insistence that there was nothing there. It only served to make him more suspicious that the two of them were hiding some kind of secret relationship. Before Ryan could voice any of his concerns, Sara continued speaking. 

“I know you know the truth about what Shane is.” She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. 

Ryan’s head jerked up, eyes going as wide as saucers. How did Sara know about Shane’s demonic side, too? It only left two possible conclusions. Either, she was a demon, too, or Shane had preyed on her the same way he had preyed on Ryan. Both left Ryan’s mind swirling with too many terrifying thoughts. If Sara was a demon, too, Ryan was left feeling even more terrified and unsafe. If Shane had used Sara the same way he was using Ryan, it left Ryan feeling empty as he was now left to worry that he would be tossed aside without a second thought once Shane grew bored, and the connection Ryan had been led to believe they were building was all in his head. 

“How do you know what he is?” Ryan managed to choke out. 

“Because,” Sara sighed softly. “There’s a lot going on here that you don’t understand, Ryan.” She paused. 

“I understand what’s going on fine.” Ryan said, moving to stand up. “Shane isn’t human.” He shrugged. “And I’m starting to think you aren’t either.” 

“You’re right.” Sara nodded. “Neither of us are human.” 

Ryan almost sprinted out of the room at those words. He was afraid Sara would lunge at him in a flurry of fangs and red eyes, but something made him feel compelled to stay put. 

Sara reached out, taking Ryan’s hand into her own. He flinched and attempted to rip his hand out of her grip, but Sara forced him to stay in place with a tight grip. 

“Calm down,” She said in a soft voice. “Listen to me. I’m not going to hurt you. I want to do the exact opposite, Ryan.” 

“Why would a demon want to do anything other than hurt me” Ryan shot back. 

“I’m not a demon!” Sara shouted, startling Ryan. “I’m not a demon.” She repeated, this time in a much calmer voice. 

“Then what are you?” Ryan questioned, trying to wrap his head around what was going on. 

“An angel.” Sara stated, locking eyes with Ryan. Her face was completely serious; there was no indication that she was joking or lying or making anything up. Ryan had every reason to believe he was telling the truth. “And Shane is going to hurt you. I’ve spent four years in this office trying to protect the souls Shane chases after. You’re going to be his next victim if you don’t trust me.” 

Ryan sat in still silence as he processed what Sara was telling her. He had always believed in demons, but he wasn’t a religious man, and angels seemed a little less possible to him. Nobody ever told stories of angelic spirits aiding them, they only ever spoke of demons screwing with them. He couldn’t tell if he should believe Sara’s claims or not. 

“Prove it.” Ryan said, frowning. “Show me something to make me believe you’re an angel.” 

Sara eyed Ryan in surprise, a clear indication that she had been expecting Ryan to believe her. Sara stood up, shaking her head. 

“I’ll show you my wings. That would be enough to convince you, right? I just can’t do that here. If someone else sees..” She shrugged. It would only lead to countless questions and a big mess if anyone else got caught up in this situation. 

-

Ryan and Sara were alone in an empty conference room. The door was closed and locked to ensure their privacy. Walking into a dark room with a girl and locking the door behind them made Ryan feel like they were teenagers sneaking around and making out behind closed doors. 

“Okay, look away and close your eyes.” Sara instructed, making Ryan’s cheeks heat up. “It’s going to get really bright in here for a moment and I’m afraid of blinding you.” She explained, rolling her eyes as she saw how this made Ryan blush. 

Ryan nodded, turning away from Sara. A brief moment passed, and she allowed him to turn around again. Ryan had already observed that Sara was objectively attractive. Seeing her in this angelic state, however, made her downright gorgeous. In addition to the pair of elegant white and gold wings sprouting from her shoulder blades, her face seemed to have a glow, and her irses had changed to a shimmering gold. 

Ryan admired the sight with awe. Seeing Sara like this had the opposite effect of seeing Shane in his true form. Whereas the demon unnerved Ryan and made every hair on his body stand on end, Sara made Ryan feel like he could relax, and an overwhelming sense of peace washed over him. All of the problems that plagued him in the outside world were able to momentarily fade from his mind. 

“Now do you believe me?” Sara asked, smirking. Ryan was unable to even reply, settling, instead, for just a small nod. 

“Now, Ryan,” Sara took his hand again. “Listen to me. Shane isn’t a good person. You’ve already seen what he is, and you know what he’s capable of. He doesn’t care about you, he just wants your soul. You need to get away from him.” She warned. She didn’t know the full extent of the relationship between Shane and Ryan at this point, but, if Shane had been telling the truth earlier when they spoke, Ryan was already dangerously close to falling into an inescapable trap. 

 

“No, Shane isn’t just using me.” Ryan pulled his hand away from Sara. “Not anymore, at least.” Ryan took a few steps back, walking towards the door of the conference room. “Sara, you don’t know Shane like I do.” 

Before Sara could argue, Ryan opened the door, stumbling out into the hallway. Sara had to be wrong about Shane. Shane wouldn’t take care of Ryan the way he did if all he was after was a soul. He wouldn’t have told Ryan he loved him if there wasn’t at least a little bit of genuine care there. Ryan stumbled down the hall, making his way back to his desk. Going to Sara had been a mistake, and he should have stayed away from her. Traditionally people were taught that angels were good and demons were bad, but the opposite seemed true in this case. The demon was the one who had lovingly taken Ryan under his wing, both literally and figuratively, to care for him, and the angel was the one intent on destroying the happiness the couple had built together because of her own biases. 

Sara stayed in the room, knowing full-well chasing after Ryan would end poorly. She could see that it was already too late; Shane had wormed his way into Ryan’s mind, and it would be difficult to pull Ryan free from the cage Shane had him in now, Instead, Sara would need to attack the source of the problem. She had to find Shane and force him to release his hold on Ryan. 

“You know I don’t like sharing what’s mine.” A voice came from behind her. Sara didn’t have to turn around to know Shane was standing it in the doorway, arms folded over his chest, smirking at her. 

“You don’t own Ryan.” 

“I beg to differ.” Shane took a step into the room, closing the door behind him. “Sara, I warned you to keep your hands off Ryan and you didn’t listen to me.” He shook his head. 

Sara stiffened. She had every right to intervene in the situation. Ryan was a good soul, and he deserved to be protected. She was looking out for his best interest. She turned around to face Shane, who had transformed into his demon form to match her own angelic appearance. 

“You always came in between me and my human pets.” Shane continued. “You always ruined my games, and left me hungry. I went years without any human souls to feed off of because of you.” Shane growled. 

“I was only doing my job.” Sara countered. “And nothing is going to change. I’ll keep ruining every one of your conquests, Ryan included.” 

“It’s too late to save Bergara.” Shane chuckled darkly. “You’re not gonna pry this one out of my hands.” Sara hated to admit that Shane was right. Ryan had so clearly given himself over to Shane, and there was very little the angel could do to make him see her side of things. Shane had already shown Ryan his darkest side, and that wasn’t enough to scare Ryan away. Nothing Sara could say or do would be enough to impact Ryan in any meaningful way. 

In the blink of an eye, Shane shifted back to his normal human form. “I have to go find Ryan and fix whatever mess you created in his head.” He snapped at Sara, who turned away, eyes closed. 

“Just go.” Sara snarled. “I don’t want to be near you anymore.” She put a hand to Shane’s chest and gently shoved him toward the door. She felt like an idiot. She had spent years stopping Shane from taking human souls, and she had never failed before. This was the first time she had come across a human who didn’t want to accept her help. She didn’t understand why Ryan was so willing to let Shane take him under, but she had gotten stuck on the idea that perhaps Ryan really was in love with Shane. There was very little Sara could do to come in between them if Ryan really did love Shane, and if Ryan loved Shane, he would willing hand over his soul without a second thought. She had to save Ryan before it was too late, but the clock was ticking too fast and Sara was about to run out of time.

**Author's Note:**

> All comments and feedback are appreciated!


End file.
